Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth)

The Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) is a standing committee of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).

Page last updated: 22 June 2016

Under its Terms of Reference, enHealth is responsible for providing agreed environmental health policy advice, implementation of the National Environmental Health Strategy, consultation with key stakeholders, and the development and coordination of research, information and practical resources on environmental health matters at a national level. The development of national advice by enHealth is based on significant collaboration and consultation with Federal and state and territory agencies, departments and organisations that deal with environmental health matters.

The enHealth membership includes representatives from:

Commonwealth, State and Territory health departments;

New Zealand Ministry of Health; and

National Health and Medical Research Council.

enHealth achieves its objectives through regular engagement with other government departments and agencies including the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme, the Department of the Environment and the Bureau of Meteorology. The committee also works with Australian local government associations, professional bodies, universities and non-government organisations such as Environmental Health Australia, Public Health Association of Australia and Choice.

enHealth Terms of Reference

enHealth is a standing committee under the auspices of Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC). AHPPC and enHealth work with reference to the National Environmental Health Strategy to:

Provide nationally agreed environmental health policy advice, based on the best available evidence and expertise, to the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) through the AHPPC;

Keep the AHPPC and AHMAC informed of developments in environmental policy with significant health implications and provide expert, and where nationally agreed, health advice in environmental policy forums;

Consult with consumers and other stakeholders as appropriate in developing environmental health policy advice and implementing environmental health policies;

Contribute, through the Commonwealth, to international collaboration on environmental health issues; and

Environmental Health Workforce Working Group Terms of Reference

The Environmental Health Workforce Working Group, under the guidance of enHealth and with reference to both the National Environmental Health Strategy and the National Environmental Workforce Action Plan, will:

Contribute to national health workforce policy through the development of agreed advice to enHealth on the environmental health workforce.

Work with the National Health Workforce Taskforce to ensure that environmental health workforce issues are considered within the broader health workforce reform agenda.

Working Group on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Environmental Health

The Working Group on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Environmental Health works under the guidance of enHealth and with reference to the National Environmental Health Strategy to fulfil its terms of reference of: